More Job Growth
Last month’s news from the Maritime Administration announcing the operating contract awards for the new U.S. Maritime Security Program was a great moment for our union.
The extended, expanded MSP helps ensure job security for Seafarers for many years to come. Not only that, it increases the number of shipboard job opportunities available to SIU members.
In the bigger picture, the new MSP is good for America. As anyone who truly understands the U.S. Merchant Marine will tell you, we are the nation’s fourth arm of defense. The United States is best served by a strong U.S.-flag commercial fleet and by the dedicated, well-trained U.S. crews who man those vessels. The 10-year MSP that takes effect this fall is a vital step toward maintaining a capable American-flag fleet and a pool of reliable, well-trained U.S. mariners.
As I said when the new MSP was signed into law a little over a year ago, there is plenty of credit to go around. In fact there are too many people and organizations to name here, but certainly I thank President Bush and his administration for not only recognizing the U.S. Merchant Marine’s importance, but also following through and delivering a 60-ship fleet under the new MSP.
And I also thank you, the rank-and-file Seafarer. The support you’ve given me and the other SIU officials is gratifying and, more importantly, makes it easier to promote and protect the interests of all Seafarers. Along those same lines, your support of SPAD and the outstanding work you perform every day aboard ship are important parts of our recipe for success.
The new, 60-ship MSP fleet is something we can all be proud of.
Disaster and Aid
Less than three weeks before the high of the MSP announcement, Seafarers joined with other people all over the world in sadly sharing the horror of the tsunami that devastated Asian and African countries right after Christmas, killing hundreds of thousands.
I don’t know if any of us can fully comprehend a loss that great. In many ways it’s impossible to understand.
And yet I also believe that the disaster’s aftermath once again has brought out the best in so many people, showing the good side of human nature and what we’re capable of when we pull together. Certainly U.S. unions and union members have stepped up to donate record amounts of money to help the victims.
The SIU made a $10,000 donation, and SIU-crewed ships are aiding in relief efforts, as reported elsewhere on this page.
As of mid-January, I was aware of at least one Seafarer who unfortunately lost all of his possessions to the tsunami but who thankfully was safely at sea at that time. We will pass along news of how the disaster has impacted other members as it becomes available.
Meanwhile, if you have the means to donate to one of the many relief funds, I hope you will consider doing so. See the “How You Can Help” article on this page for more information.
My heartfelt prayers go out to all the victims and their families.
Crisis Continues
From time to time in this space, I have written about the ongoing health care crisis in America. If it seems like I won’t get off the subject, there’s a good reason: This crisis is a major threat to working families nationwide.
And it’s getting worse by the day.
Right now about 45 million Americans have no health coverage at all. Those who have insurance in many cases are paying more and more to maintain their coverage. In other instances, people with insurance are paying more for reduced benefits. It is happening all over the country.
This remains a giant problem, but the SIU is committed to helping solve it. We will continue working through the AFL-CIO to enact a fair, workable health care solution for all concerned.
In addition to our efforts with the labor federation, health plans administrators from the U.S. maritime unions have met a half-dozen times over the past year and a half, sharing information and trying to find ways to contain costs while still providing good coverage. Those meetings are a step in the right direction as we continue what in many ways is literally a fight for our lives.
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